Nathaniel z



(No Model.)

N. Z. SEITZ. vGARBUMTER Patented Deo. 14,1897.

UNrrnD STATES Enron.

PATENT CARBURETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,658, dated December14, 1897.

Application filed September Z9, 1896. Serial No. 607,306.' (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL Z. SEITZ, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Carbureters; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of devices known ascarbureters or gas-enrichers.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a carbureter orgas-enricher that will be simple in construction, easy of manufacture,and efficient in its operation.

One of the important objects of my inven-` tion is to provide acarbureter or gas-enricher that will at all times be under perfectcontrol of the operator, so as to produce gas of Various degrees ofenrichment. This becomes a very desirable feature in this class ofdevices when it is taken into consideration that for lighting purposes acertain peculiar degree of enrichment is desirable. For heating purposesanother degree of enrichment is required, and when preparing orenriching gas for use upon or in connection with the well-known Welsbachburner a very ne degree of enrichment is necessary in order that thefrail mantle used upon this lamp will not be destroyed by smoke and sootwhich would arise from gas too highly carbonized. With my invention thegas entering the apparatus is under the absolute control of the personusing the machine, and its ingress, as well as its egress, can beregulated to suit either of the above conditions.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a carbureter orgas-enricher with automatic means for regulating the quantity ofhydrocarbon entering the enriching-chamber, and,nally,the inwentionprovides means for adjusting the gas-inlet pipe or passage, so that theentering gas may be discharged at various depths into the hydrocarbon.

Brieiy, my invention consists of a tank or chamber preferablyrectangular in shape and divided into three compartments havingcommunication with each other, and which for convenience I will term theenrichingforth in the claims which follow this specication.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make, use, and operatemy invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail,reference being made for this purpose to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of a gas-enricherconstructed in accordance with my invention, the gas and oil inlet andoutlet pipes being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing aportion of the iioatvalve. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing theadjustable pipe extension and showing also the absorbent wick inposition within the same. Fig. iis a detail view of a modified form ofabsorbent wick, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the wick-holdingrings as used in connection with the form of wick shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference-numeral l indicates thegas-enricher, which consists of a metal tank or chamber of any desiredshape or size and which is provided on its interior with two partitions2 and 3. The partition 2 is located about midway of the chamber andextends from the bottom thereof to near the top, and the partition 3 islocated between the partition 2 and one end of the chamber and extendsfrom the top thereof to near the bottom, but not directly in contacttherewith. j

The reference-numeral 4 indicates the main gas-inlet pipe, whichconducts the ordinary unenriched city gas into the enriching-chamber,said gas entering the chamber through the pipe extension 5, which is adjustably coni IOO nected to the lower end of the inlet-pipe 4 by means ofscrew-threads or otherwise. The lower end of the extension-pipe 5 isprovided around its edge with a series of V -shaped cuts, so that thegas may pass therethrough in a lateral direction.

Connected to the main gas-inlet pipe 4 is a branch pipe 6, which entersthe upper part of the enriching-chamber and conducts gas thereinto, buton a plane somewhat higher than that of the pipe extension 5. The maingas-inlet pipe is provided with cut-off valves 7 and S both above andbelow the branch pipe, and the branch pipe is provided with a similarcut-off valve 9. By means of these valves the infiowing gas can beclosely regulated, as will hereinafter appear.

The oil is supplied to the gas-enricher from a suitable tank l0, whichis preferably located above and at any suitable distance from theenricher and connected thereto by means of a suitable pipe. The saidpipe is provided with a detachable coupling 1l, whereby the tank whenempty may be detached and a full one connected, thus overcoming thedisadvant-ages arising from the filling of the tank on the premiseswhere it is being used. Upon either side of the coupling 11 the oil-pipeis provided with valves l2 and 13, so as to entirely cut off the supplyof oil when the tanks are being changed', or for any other purposedesired.

Leading from the oil-tank lO to or near the bottom of the enriching-chamber is an oil-conducting pipe or passage 14, which isprovided at its end within said chamber with a valve l5, of ordinaryconstruction, said valve being controlled by a fioat 16. By theselatternamed devices a regulated quantity of hydrocarbon is at all timeskept within the enriching-chamber. This is an important feature of myinvention, for I have found from practical experience that it is verydesirable and, in fact, necessary, in order to obtain good results froma gas-enricher, that fresh oil or hydrocarbon be gradually fed to themachine as it is consumed, as distinguished from feeding the oil atcertainperiods-for instance, each week or two. I have also found fromexperience that much better results are obtained by placing a certainsmall quantity of oil in the enriching-chamber and adding fresh oilthereto continually and gradually rather than to provide a considerablebody of oil which will last for some time and when the same has all, ornearly all, been consumed to then recharge the chamber, for it isobvious from the last-named method that the oil after standing in theenriching-chamber for a short time and being brought into constantcontact with the unenriched city gas will soon be deprived of a greaterpart of its carbon and the gas last passed through the chamber before itis recharged with fresh oil will receive a very inconsiderable degree ofenrichment. lVith my improvement, however, fresh oil is constantly l'cdto the enriching-chamber as fast as it is consumed, and a gradual andregulated degree of enrichment is the result.

Within the receiving-chamber I have placed a number of screens ab c ofvarying degrees of mesh, the screen d being of one size mesh, the screenb being of a closer mesh, and the screen c being of still finer mesh.These screens serve to whip and break up the gas, so as to thoroughlymix the same in its passage. Between the lower portion or edge of thepartition 3 and the bottom of the tank I place auother screen d, andwithin the refining-chamber I arrange a second series of screens e f g7L of varying degrees of fineness. I prefer to arrange thesel screensalternately, one of fine and one of coarse mesh. It will thus be seenthat as the gas passes from the enrichingchamber through the screenswithin the receiving and refining chambers it is thoroughly whipped andmixed before being delivered to the burner.

In the top of the tank or chamber l I provide one, two, 0r more openingsthrough which access may be had to the interior and working parts of themachine, said openings being closed by tight-fitting covers 20.

In order to more completely charge the entering gas with hydrocarbon, Ihave arranged an absorbent'wick 2l within the lower portion of the tank,so that it will extend upward within the pipe extension 5.

The manner of supporting the wick is as follows: I secure three, four,or more rods 22 to the bottom of the tank immediately below the pipeextension, so that they will extend upward some distance within thelatter. At the top the rods 22 are soldered or otherwise connected to aconical cap 23. In practice I prefer to use an ordinary tubularlamp-wick, which is drawn together at its top and then placed over thecap 23 and rods 22 and extended downward within the body of oil, so

that the latter by capillary attraction will travel up the wick andremain saturated as long as there is any oil within the tank. It will beunderstood that the diameter of the wick is somewhat smaller than thatof the pipe extension, so as to leave an annular space between said wickand pipe extension for the free passage of gas.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of wick and means of supportingthe same. lVith this construction I provide a wire ring 24 with a seriesof wires or rods 25, secured transversely across the same, and to eachrod or wire I attach in any suitable manner a fiat wick 26. The ring,with its attached wicks, is then placed within the upper conical portionof the pipe extension and soldered or otherwise secured thereto. Thelower ends of the wicks will ordinarily hang down into the oil withoutweighting them but,if desired, a second ring 27, similar to the one 2G,may be secured to the lower ends of the wicks in order to hold them inthe oil. Owing to the fact that the wicks are secured to the pipeextension and the latter being made adjust- IOO IIO

pipe extension.

able to and fromthe body of oil, it will be readily understood that thewicks may at all times be confined within the oil. In this arrangementof wicks the entering gas will come in contact with the entire surfaceof all the wicks and be fully enriched before passing out of the pipeextension.

In the drawings I have shown the pipe eX- tension 5 as being round; butI do not wish to conne myself to such shape, for obviously it may bemade of other form. By preference the pipe extension is madeconsiderably larger in diameter than the diameter of the gas-inlet pipe,so that a considerable-quantity of gas may be retained therein andenriched before passing out.

In Fig. 3 I have shown in detail the means for adjusting the pipeextension up or down to different positions with respect to the oil. Inthis instance the pipe extension 5 is telescopically connected to thepipe 4 and provided at its upper portion with a laterally-.

extending lip or flange 28, having a threaded orifice 29. Passingthrough a stufng-box 30 in the top of the tank 1 is a threaded rod orspindle 31, which passes through the threaded` stood that by turning therod or spindle 31 one way or the other the pipe extension will be raisedor lowered, as the case may be.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific meanshere shown for adjusting the pipe extension, as various other simplemeans of accomplishing the same end will readily suggest themselves.

The operation of myimproved machine may be brieiiy stated as follows:Gas from the ordinary city main will be conducted lthrough the maininlet-pipe 4 and pipe extension 5 directly into or upon the surface ofthe hydrocarbon and in contact with the saturated wicks, according tothe position of the said If a high degree of enrichmentis desired, thepipe extension will be lowered so that its end will be submerged in thebody of oil, and the gas being conducted through the pipe will then risein the form of bubbles or globules and highly enriched and pass upwardover the partition 2 into the receiving-chamber 28a through the screens,thence downward under the partition 3 and upward through the screens inthe reiiningchamber 17, and out by way of outlet-pipe 19.

If in this adjustment of the parts it is found that the gas isexcessively rich, the pipe eX- tension may be raised so that theiniiowing gas will` merely come in contact with the surface of the oilinstead of being made to enter :a the same, or, instead of changing theposition of the pipe extension, the valves 8 and 9, controlling theentrance of unenriched gas, may each be partially or entirely opened,whereupon part of the gas will be brought into contact with the oil andpart will enter the chamber near the top through the branch pipe 6 andwill then mix with the enriched gas. It is to be observed thatthe Valvescan be adjusted as desired to suit the conditions required and toproduce any degree ofenrichment that may be necessary to the work athand. It will thus be seen that by employing the two gas-inlet pipes andproviding a separate controlling-valve for eachI am able to haveabsolute control over the machine and gas produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a gas-enricher, the combination with a suitable tank provided withvertical partitions on its interior to divide the same into a number ofcommunicating compartments, the communicating passages between saidcompartments being on diierent planes, a series of horizontal screens ofvarying degrees of iineness arranged between said vertical partitions,an inlet-pipe leading into the first one of said compartments, and anoutlet pipe leading from the last compartment, substantiallyl asdescribed.

2'. In a gas-enricher, the combination with a tank having verticalpartitions therein dividing the same into a series of communicatingcompartments, the communicating passages between the latter being ondifferent planes, a main gas-inlet pipe leading into the firstcompartment in the tank, a branch pipe leading from said main pipeand.opening into the said same compartment, separate cocks for each ofsaid pipes, an independent pipe extension telescoped on the main gaspipeand adjustable thereon to and from the bottom of the tank, a series ofhorizontallyarranged screens of varying degrees of fineness placedbetween the vertical partitions in the tank, and an outlet-pipe leadingfrom the last compartment, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-enricher, the combination with the tank provided with twopartitions dividing the tank into an independent enrichingchamber, areceiving-chamber and a refiningchamber, and covered apertures in thetop of the tank whereby access may be had to said chambers, anoil-supply tank arranged above the enricher and having a communicatingpipe or passage with the lower portion of the enriching-chamber, meansfor conducting a uniform iiow of oil to said enriching-chamber, a maingas-supply pipe leading into the enriching-chamber, an independentadjustable pipe extension telescoped on the end of the main gas-pipe, abranch pipe leading from the main gas-pipe and adapted to conduct gasinto the upper portion of the enriching-cham- ICO IIO

"ber, valves for each gaspipe, a series or screens arranged within thereceiving and rening chambers, and an outlet-pipe for enriched gasleading from the reIining-chainber, substantially as described.

4. In a gas-enricher or carbureter, the combination with a suitabletank, of a gas-inlet pipe leading into said tank, a pipe extensiontelescopically connected to said inlet-pipe and adjustable to and fromthe bottom of the tank, a laterally-extending lip on the pipe extension,a threaded rod having its lower end portion passed through a threadedhole in said lip, and its upper end passed through a stuffing-box in thetop of the tank, and a removable cap screwed to the tank and coveringthe projecting end of the threaded rod, substantially as described.

5. In a gas-enricher, the combination with a suitable tank divided intocompartments and provided with a pipe for conveying oil to one of saidcompartments, a main gas-inlet pipe entering the oil-compartment, an adjustable pipe extension upon the end of the main gas-inlet pipe, a branchpipe leading from the main gaspipe and delivering gas into the tank, anindependent valve for each gas-inlet pipe, a body of absorbent materialsecured to the bottom of the tank and extending upward within the pipeextension, and a gas-outlet pipe for conducting the enriched gas fromthe tank after it has passed through all the compartments in the tank,substantially as described.

6. In a gas-enricher, the combination with a suitable tank, of agas-inlet pipe leading to the interior of said tank, a pipe extensiontelescoped on the end of said inlet-pipe and adjustable to and from thebottom of the tank, a series of Wick-supporting wires or rods secured tothe bottom of the tank and extending upward within the pipe extension, acap to which the upper ends of said wires are secured, and an absorbentwick placed over and supported by said wires, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a gas-enricher, the combination with the tank or chamber havingtwo partitions therein dividing the enricher into three compartmentseach of which communicates with the other, said communicating passagesbeing on diierent planes, of an oil-supply pipe leading to one of saidcompartments, a main gas-inlet pipe leading to said oil-compartmen t, abranch pipe leading also to said chamber, an adjustable pipe extensionconnected to the main gas-inlet pipe, an absorbent wick or wicks leadingfrom the lower portion of the tank upward within the pipe extension, aseries of screens of different mesh placed within two other compartmentsof the tank, and a gas-outlet pipe for conducting the enriched gas fromthe tank after it has passed through all the compartments in the tank,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL Z. SEITZ.

Witnesses:

GEORGE KENT, JOSEPH S. MACWILLIAMs.

